By ZimbabweTimes Correspondent

LONDON – The British government announced on Thursday that it is planning to resume deportation of thousands of Zimbabweans from the United Kingdom whose asylum status applications were turned down by the Home Affairs office. In a statement released by the Home Office, Immigration Minister Phil Woolas also announced that government was offering money for any Zimbabweans willing to voluntarily return to their own country. The new plan would see returnees being offered up to £2 000 or US$3 274 in cash and a further £4 000 (US$6 548) support-in-kind for education or for starting a business.

In Zimbabwe a government of national unity was formed in February 2009 by President Robert Mugabe leader of Zanu-PF and Morgan Tsvangirai president of the mainstream Movement for Democratic Change (MDC) and Prof Arthur Mutambara, of a breakaway faction of the MDC. The setting up of the new government followed the signing of the Global Political Agreement (GPA) by the three leaders after a tortuous negotiating process, which was brokered by former South African president Thabo Mbeki.

“As Prime Minister Tsvangirai has set out, including during a visit to the UK in June, there have been some positive changes in the situation in Zimbabwe over the past six months,” Woolas said. “While a great deal remains to be done to institute the political and other reforms set out in the Global Political Agreement, the indiscriminate violence which marred the elections of 2008 has abated.

“And the formation of the Inclusive Government has led to improvements in the economy, schools and the availability of basic commodities.”

Woolas said authorities were looking at starting “removals” following the formation of Government of National Unity (GNU) in Zimbabwe

The eight-month old coalition government has been rocked by the failure to fully implement the pact and other outstanding issues, such as the refusal by Mugabe to reverse the arbitrary appointment of the Central Bank governor and Attorney-General, among other thorny issues.

At least three million Zimbabweans, a quarter of the country’s 12 million people, now live outside the country with more than 28 000 said to be living in the UK after fleeing from political persecution and economic hardship in their own country.

Woolas said the UK Border Agency was starting work “on a process aimed at normalizing our returns policy to Zimbabwe, moving towards resuming enforced returns progressively as and when the political situation develops”.

Asylum seekers, most of whom claim to be supporters of Zimbabwe’s main opposition MDC, have in the past fought several court battles to seek the right to remain in the UK.

They argue that they face torture and harassment if they are sent back to Zimbabwe.

Prime Minister Tsvangirai booed and shouted down by exiles during a speech in London in June when he pleaded with them to return home to help in the reconstruction of the shattered country.

Tsvangirai told a raucous audience of 1 000 people in Southwark Cathedral that “Zimbabweans must come home”. The exiles retorted that 85-year-old President Robert Mugabe must go first and chanted “Mugabe must go”.

Failing to make himself heard above the commotion Tsvangirai abandoned his address but later returned to take questions.

“I did not say, ‘Pack your bags tomorrow,’” he said. “I said you should now start thinking about coming home.”

Tsvangirai was also heckled when he insisted that the then four-month-old unity government of his MDC and President Mugabe’s Zanu-PF had “made sure that there is peace and stability in Zimbabwe”.

Shouts of “Not yet” rang out. (Source: The ZimbabweTimes)

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